Shoe-heater



W. H. BAYNARD AND F. W. EAGER.

SHOEHEATER.

APPLICATION HLl-:n sEPLzl, 1911.

,$58,695. I Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l vv ew 5071s y rg0 i 70 Sys,

W. H. BAYNARD AND F. W. EAGER.

sHoE HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21.3917. 1,358,695. Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 k f-" cf'c'g. 5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BAYNARD, oF BRAINTREE, AND FREDRICK W. EAGER, or WINTHROP, i MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNoRS To HARRY H. BECKWITH, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

SHOE-HEATER.

Application led September 21, 1917. Serial No. 192,569.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, VILLIAM ITI. BAY- NARD and FREDRIGK WV. EAGER, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, and at Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to apparatus for softening the stiHened portions of footwear vpreparatory to end lasting. In accordance with modern practice, it is customary to employ as the toe box or as the counter stiffener a shaped blank of fibrous material saturated or impregnated with a stiffening compound of an asphaltic or resinous nature, which may be softened at a tem erature below that at which leather wou d be injured. So far as we are aware, itl has never heretofore been proposed to heat or soften the stiifener at more than one' end of the shoe only. In the operation prew paratory to end-lasting the shoe or other form of footwear, it is desirable to supply sufficient heat to effect the softening of the stiifening compound and also to supply a certain amount of warm or heated moisture to moisten the leather portions of the shoe. In the apparatus which has heretofore been employed, it has been impossible to secure the desired heat of radiation and the proper amount of moisture without securing a heat which is dangerous for the leather.

This invention has for its primary'object the provision of a shoe heater in which it is possible to secure within the space into which the shoe is heated sufiicient moisture for softening the leather at a relatively low temperature. IVe regard the optimum temperature as approximately 17()O to 1850 F. dependingfupon the period of time to which the shoe may be subjected to the heat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater by which both the toe box and the counter stiffener may be heated simultaneously7 thereby greatly shortening the time required for preparing the shoe for end-lasting.

Stillanother object of the invention is to provide a heater in which there shall be a minimum amount of moisture escaping into the atmosphere in which the operator is working, .thereby greatly improving the conditions under which the operator works Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

and lessening the danger of injuryl to his health. The invention has further to provide a heater in which the degree of temperature and the amount of supplied moisture may be separately controlled, by which the products of condensation from the moisture may be removed prior to the delivery of the vapor to the moistening chamber in which -the current of moisture or vapor is directed to those portions of the shoe which it is desired to heat and moisten, and by which certain other advantages are secured,

.all as will be pointed out in the following specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of our 1nventiOn, to the details of construction, how- Fig. 6 represents a section on thevline 6-6- of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow.

The heater, considered as a whole, comprises a plurality of vapor units, one for each shoe, and the units may be all arranged within a common housing of suitable construction. Urdinarily we employ a housing adequate in size to. receive two units or a multiple thereof. In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated upon the drawing, the housing comprises a bottom plate 10 which slopes from its front to its rear end at a relatively slight inclination but sufficient to cause the products of condensation to flow. toward the rear end. This plate is approximately pan-shaped and its front portion is provided with raised side walls l1. There is a rear wall 12, a front wall 13 and side walls 14. The front wall 13 is removable and is held in place by fastenings 15 secured to inturned flanges on the front end of the side walls. The

rao

front wall is also provided with a plurality of semi-circular openings or apertures 16 adequate in size to receive the toe portion of a shoe, as indicated in dotted lines in Fi 4. There is one opening for each vapor unit of the heater. The top wall 17 of the 'housing is peaked like the roof of a house,

and is removable, being provided with flanges which lap within the front, rear and side walls of the housing, and are secured of the fore parts vof the shoes to be treated.

The pan or bottom plate 10 projects forwardly from the box and is utilized 'to support the heating element for the counter stiffener. It should be noted in Fig. 4 that `the lower edge of the front wall 13 is slightly elevated above the plate 10 so as to permit products of condensation to flow to the rear portion of the pan where they pass out through a drip pipe 20 leading therefrom as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Placed within the housing there is a steam coil 21, consisting of straight pipes connected by elbow couplings and arranged so that there is a series of horizontal pipes arranged in a horizontal plane immediately above the plane of the tops of the openings 16, and a plurality of pipes immediately below the horizontal plane of the lower walls of said openings 16, as best shown in Fig. 4. The coil may'consist of as many convolutions as desired. This coil is placed relatively close to the front wall and the stack 19 is directly above this coil. Live steam under pressure is fed to the coil by a pipe 22, said pipe communicating with a main steam pipe 23 leading from the boiler. At the other end of the coil there is an outlet pipe 24 provided with a valve 25 for.maintaining the desired pressure in the coil and insuring the desired heat of radiation therefrom. From what has been described, it is now apparent that, when a shoe is inserted in one of the apertures 16, lthe stiifened toe box blank lies directly above the lower pipes of the coil.

where it is in position to receive the heat radiated therefrom, so that it may be subjected to the desired temperature necessary to. effect the softening of the stiffening compound.

For each shoe opening in the housing, we employ a separate moistening chamber or unit 'which is preferably so disposed as to provide a shield between the top of the end of the shoe and the upper pipes of the coil so as to prevent an over-heating of the end of the shoe land also forl another purpose which will be described. Eachmoistening unit consists of a box which is provided with side walls 26, 26, a rear end wall 27, a top wall 28 whichextends across only the rear portion of the side walls, and a bottom wall 29 which extends across the box at the rear portion thereof. The side walls are shaped as shown in Fig. 4, so that the box as a whole is .inclined upwardly and rearwardly, and so that the side walls may at their front ends rest upon the bottom pipes of the coil. box is provided with an upright partition 30 to provide an expansion chamber 31. The partition does not extend entirely across the box, as illustrated in Fig. 5, but is provided with forwardly extending walls 32 which parallel the side walls 26 but which terminate short of the front ends of the said side walls. The side walls 26, as shown in Fig. 5, are provided with inwardly and rearwardly extending wings 33, which overlap the front ends of the extensions 32 of At its rear portion, the

the partition so as to provide a tortuous f passageway 34 from the expansion chamber 31 to the front portion of the shoe chamber 35. The wall or partition 30 is provided with a plurality of ports 36, and an inclined cross plate 37 extends from the partition 30 at a point above the ports 36, forwardly and downwardly, and is connected or formed integrally with .the bottom wall 29 of the unit. The plate 37 isalso provided near its front lower end with a plurality of ports 38 lwhich are in a horizontal plane below the shoe when the latter is inserted in the shoe opening into the shoe chamber of the unit. The ports 38 are thus to be located as to direct a stream of vapor against the toe box of the shoe, and, with the vapor which passes from the expansion chamber 31 through the tortuous passage 34 into the shoe chamber, to fill the chamber with vapor or moisture. The front portions of the side walls 26 project upwardly above the plane of the top wall 28 to receive and support a cover or shield 39 which slants downwardly and rearwardly from a line adjacent the front wall of the housing above the shoe opening 16 to a point just in front of the front edge of the top plate 28 so as to leave an elongated port 40 for the emission of the vapor from the shoe chamber into the interior of the housing. The unit, as thus described, comprising the side walls, the rear end wall, the bottom wall, the top wall 28, and the shield 39, is removable bodily from the housing, and it comprises the rearwardly located expansion chamber and the forwardly located shoe chamber which is open at its front end and which terminates at the front wall ofthe housing in position to of the coil and the shoe which Vmay be intion of said chamber.

provided with a valve 45 and is connected serted in the chamber. Moisture is supplied to the expansion chambers by a pipe 41 which is inserted in one end of the housing and extends entirely therethrough, and which is capped at its other end as indicated at 42. This pipe, which is easily removable by unscrewing it from the elbow 43, extends through the expansion chambers 31, and within each chamber is provided With a relatively small port 44 which opens toward the rear of said chamber so as to direct the vapor toward the rear upper por- This vapor pipe is to a T coupling 46 which is in turn con'- nected by a pipe 47 with a' vapor chest indicated as a whole at 48. This'chest may be of any suitable shape and dimensions.

"As illustrated,fhowever, it is cylindrical in form with removable upper and lower heads 49, 50. Live steam is delivered to the lower portion of this vapor chest by a branch pipe 51 leading from the main steam pipe 23, said pipe 51 being'provided with a valve 52. The'vaporfchest 48 is sulicient in size to permit the steam entering thereinto to expand and vaporize before the vapor is conducted from the upper end of the chest through the pipe 41` to the expansion chambers of the several units in the housing. By permitting the vapor to expand within the chambers 31 before it is admitted to the shoe chamber of the unit, we insure the cooling of the Vapor and its delivery to the shoe chamber at the desired temperature. The steam entering the chest is controlled by an independent valve so'that its volume is easily regulated, thereby insuring the delivery of the proper amount of vapor to the expansion chambers and the shoe-receiving chambers of the vapor units. The products of condensation are delivered from the chest 48 through a drip pipe 53 provided with a lvalve 54.

From the foregoing description, it will I now be apparent that it is possible to regulate the temperature of the dryheating coil 21 quite independently of the temperature and volume of vapor delivered to each shoe chamber, and that, on the other hand, the volume and temperature of the vapor so delivered may .be regulated and controlled quite independently ofthe temperature of the heating coil. Consequently we are able. according to the character of t e material of fthe shoes to be treated, to vary the temperature of the heater and to vary the supply and the temperature of the vapor so as to soften the stiffening compound of the toe box Without injuring the other portions of the shoe.

In this connection, we desire to call attention to the fact that We secure a circulation through the housing. This is accomplished by the provision of the stack '19, but, in order that there shall be a constantly ascending stream of heated air and moisture passing through the stack, the upper pipes of the coil are utilized in securing this result. The stack is located over them, and the air, which enters the shoe openings in the housing, is heated sufficiently to cause it to rise does n ot ll the opening and consequently there is a constant stream of air flowing in around the shoe which is sufficient to temper the heat from the lower pipes of the coil to prevent over-heating and also to insu-re the circulation through the housing; As a result of the construction and arrangement described, there is substantially no vapor escaping from the shoe openings 16 when the heater -is in operation. In this way, we have remedied one of the most serious defects incident to the process of softening stifened toe boxes as heretofore practised. Ordinarily, in a factory in which the toe boxes are being steamed and heated, the atmosphere is filled with vapor to such an extent as to endanger the health of the operators. This condition we have obviated toa very great extent.

In addition to heating the fore part of the shoe, we also provide, for each unit, a separate instrumentality for moistening and softening the counter stiffener. Each such device consists of a hollow metallic case 6() which is in plan view of such dimensions as to fit within the depending edges of the counter stiifener of a shoe resting y thereon, as shown in Fig. 4. Each heel heater or case is provided4 with legs or supports 6l which rest upon the forward extension of the bottom plate 10. The top wall of the heel heater is imperforate, but the side and rear wall is provided with a plurality of-minute ports 62 for the escape of vaporl conducted to the interior of the heater and so as to direct that moisture against the depending edge or margin of the counter stiifener. Moisture is supplied to the several heel heaters by a main pipe 63 which is connected to the T .coupling 46, as shown in Figs. 1, 2

viously described. From the end wall of each heel heater projects a pipe 68 provided with suitable elbows, so that its end may project through the packed collar 67 into one ofthe pipes 66. A slip or sliding coupling is thus provided between each pipe 68 and its associated pipe 66 so as to permit the heel heater to be adjusted toward and from the front wall of the housing to locate the heel'heater in proper position to receive the heel portion of a shoe of the size undergoing treatment. Naturally each heel heater is located in front of one of the shoe openings 16 in the front wall of the housing and at the proper elevation so as to assist in supporting the shoe aproXimately horizontally as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

i Of course it will be understood that, if desired, the heels heaters may be totally disconnected from the apparatus, in which case the valve 64 is kept closed, or the entire pipe 63 may be disconnectedfrom the chest and the end of the T coupling plugged, Even though the heel heater be not used for softening the counter stiffener, by cutting off the supply of vapor thereto, it may be utilized merely as a support for the rear end of the shoe. The case 60 of course may be supplanted by any other form of support which will hold the shoe horizontally. vIf desired, the pipes 68 at the ends of the housing may be connected by a cross piece which will serve to support the heel ends of the shoes inserted in all of the shoe openings, and such an expedient when once suggested is so simple as not to require illustration. The pipes 66 constitute guides for the heel supporting (and heating) members 60.

The condensation products from the heel heater and the expansion and shoe-receiving chambers of the vapor units or boxes in the housing drip to the inclined supporting plate or pan and are conducted away by the drip pipe 20. The pan serves as a support common to the toe-heating and moistening instrumentality and the heel heater.

Having thus explained the nature of our said invention and described a way of making and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, what we claim is:

1. A shoe heater comprising a housing vhaving an aperture to receive the shoe,

means for supplying vapor to the interior of said housing, a stack leading from said.

housing, and means for creating a draft upwardly through said stack.

2. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a peaked cover, and having a shoe aperture, means for supplying yapor into said housing, a stack leading from the peak or' said cover, andy a heating element located in said housing below said stack to create a draft upward through said stack.

3. A shoe heater' comprising a housing having an aperture to receive a shoe, and a heating coil within the housing adjacent the aperture to receive the shoe in the convolutions of said coil.

4. A shoe heater comprisingV a housing having an aperture in its front wall to receive a shoe, and a heating coil within the housing and having its convolutions above land below the horizontal planes of said aperture to receive the shoe.

5. A shoe heater comprising a housing having an aperture in its front wall to receive a shoe, a heating coil within the housing and having its convolutions above and below the horizontal planes of said aperture to receive the shoe, and a shield below the upperportions of the convolutions to protect the shoe from heat radiated thereby.

6. A shoe heater comprising a housing having an aperture in its front wall to receive a shoe, a heating coil within the housing. and having its convolutions above and below the horizontal planes of said. aperture to receive the shoe, a shield below the upper portions of the convolutions to protect the shoe from heat radiated thereby, and a Stack leading from the upper portion of the hous-l ino and above the said heating coil.

A shoe heater-.comprising a housing having 'an aperture to receive the shoe, a plurality of heating elements located below the horizontal planes of the aperture to radiate heat to a shoe inserted in said aperture, and means for introducing vapor into the housing and liberating it above said heating elements `and below the horizontal planes of said aperture.

8. A shoe heater comprisin a housing, a heating element for supplying heat but no moisture in said housing, means :tor supplying vapor into said housing, and means for cooling s a'id vapor prior to its liberation in said housing.

9. A shoe heater comprising a housing, a

heating element therein for supplying heat but no vapor, a steam supply pipe, a vapor chest connected thereto and having an outlet, and means for conducting vapor from said chest to said housing.

16. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, a heating velement in Vsaid housing, a source of stem supply, a vapor chest connected theretooutside the housing and having a vapor outlet, and means for conducting vapor from said chest into said housing.

4 11. A shoe heater comprising `a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, a heatmg element in said housing, a steam pipe leadmessage ving into said housing, and an expansion chamber in said housing communicating With said pipe and having openings for liberating vapor into said housing.

12. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, a heating element in said housing, a vapor element in said housing having an opening registering with said aperture so as to receive said shoe, and means to supply vapor thereto.

13. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, a heating element in said housing, a vapor element in said housing having an opening registering With said aperture so as to recelvel said shoe and arranged to direct the vapor against the shoe, and meansfor supplying vapor to said element.

14. A shoe heater comprising a housing' having a shoe-receiving aperture, a heating element in said housing, a vapor element in said housing having an opening registering with said aperture so as t0 receive said shoe, said element having an expansion chamber and openings leading therefrom, and means -for supplying vapor to said expansion chamber.

15. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, a heating element in said housing, a vapor element in said housing having a shoe-receiving chamber .adjacent said aperture, an expansion chamber communicating with said shoe-.receiving chamber, and means for supplying vapor to said expansion chamber.

16. A shoe heater comprising a housing.

having a shoe-receiving aperture, a vapor element in said housing havinga chamber adjacent said aperture and adapted to receive the shoe projected into said aperture, and meansfor supplying said chamber with vapor.

17. Av shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving' aperture, a vapor element in said housing having a chamber adjacent said aperture and adapted to receive the shoe projected into said aperture, a heating element in the housing arranged to radiate heat into said chamber, and means for supplying vapor into said chamr. 18. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture,fa vapor L element in said housing having a chamber adjacent said aperture to receive the shoe, means for supp ying said chamber with vapor, and a vapor expansion chamber communicating with the shoe-recelvmg chamber, means for supplying vapor to said eX- pansion chamber, and a heatlng element arranged to radiate heat into said shoe-receiving chamber. l .Y

19. A shoe heater comprlslng al lhousing having a shoe-receivingaperture, and a` vapor element therein having a shoe-receiving chamber adjacent said aperture, a vaporreceiving chamber, and openings therefrom into the shoe-receiving chamber.

20. A shoeheater comprising a housing .having a shoe-receiving aperture, and a vapor element therein having a shoe-receiving portion adjacent said aperture, a vapor-receiving chamber, and means for conducting vapor from said chamber Iinto said shoereceiving portion and directing it against the sides and the end of the` shoe.

21. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, and a vapor element therein having a shoe-receiving portion adjacent. said aperture, a vapor-receiving chamber, means for conducting vapor into the sides of said shoe-receiving portion, and means for conducting vapor to deliver it in .said shoe-receiving portion beneath a shoe inserted in said aperture.

22. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, and a vapor element therein, said element comprising a shoe-receiving chamber having an open end, side Walls and a top Wall and having an outlet for vapor, and a closed expansionchamber having ports for conducting vapor into'. the shoe-receiving chamber.

23.` A shoe heater comprisingy a housing, a vapor element comprising a shoe-receiving chamber having an open end, side walls and a top Wall and having a vapor outlet, and a closed vapor expansion chamber having ports for delivering vapor to said shoereceiving chamber; vmeans for supplyingvapor to said expansion chamber; and a heating element at the bottom, of said shoe-receiving chamber to radiate heat to a shoe inserted therein. A

24. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a heating element therein, and a plurality of shoe-receiving vapor chambers in said housing, one for each opening.

25. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a heating element therein, a plurality of vapor units in said housing, one for each opening, each unit being arranged to receive a shoe and to .contain vapor, and means for supplying vapor to said units.

shoe heater comprising a housing -having a plurality ofshoe-receiving apertures, means for supplying having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a heating element in said "housing common to all the shoes inserted in the aper= tures, a separate shoe-receiving chamber for each aperture and arrangedin thehousing -to inclose the shoe end inserted in such aperture, means for supplying said chambers with vapor, and heating means -arranged to radiate heat into such chambers.

29. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a plurality of shoe-receiving chambers in said housing, one for each aperture to inclose the shoe end inserted in such aperture, means for supplying said chambers with vapor, and a steam-heating element arranged to radiate heat into all fof said chambers. v

30. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a plurality of shoe-receiving chambers in said housing, one for each aperture to inclose the shoe end inserted in such aperture, -means for supplying said chambers with vapor, and a steam-heating coil in said housing having its pipes arranged above and below said chambers, said coil being arranged to radiate heat into said chambers.

3l. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures,van element for supplying heat by rav diation in said housing, and means lwithin said housing for localizing .and confining an independent atmosphere of vapor adja-` cent each aperture for the shoe end inserted therein.

32. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a stack leading from the top of said housing, a plurality of vapor chambers in said housing each open to receive a shoe inserted in one of the apertures, means for supplying heat to said chamber, heating means arranged to create an upward draft through said stack, and means forlsupplying vapor to said chambers.

33. A shoe heater comprising a housing having an aperture to receive the toe end of a shoe, means for supplying heat and vapor in said housing, and a heater on which the heel 'end of an upright shoe may be supported, arranged in operative yrelation to the housin 34. shoe-heating instrumentality for simultaneously heating both ends of a shoe, comprising a toe heater and a heel heater, each arranged to supply heat and moisture, and a common support for said toe and heel heaters,`said heel heater being constructed and arranged to be embraced by the flange of the counter stiffener of the shoe.

35. A shoe-heating instrumentality ,comprising a housing having an aperture to receive the toe end of the shoe, means for supplying heat and vapor to the housing, a heel heater in line with the aperture, constructed and arranged to lit within the flanges of a counter stiifener, and means for supplying heated vapor to said heel heater, said heel heater having ports for the emission of vapor against the inner edges of the said counter stiiener of the shoe.

36. A shoe-heating instrumentality comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, means for supplying heat and vapor to said housing, a heel supporting and heatingY member, constructed and arranged to engage the heel end face of the shoe sole, and adjustable means connecting said member to said housing. v

37. A shoe-heating instrumentality comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, means for supplying heat and vapor to said housing, a guideway in said housing, and a heel-supporting member movable along said guideway toward and from the back of said housing and having a flat face on which the heel end of thesole prising a pan, a housing thereon, having a shoe-receiving aperture, means for supplying heat and vapor to said housing, a heel supporting and heating member resting on 39. A shoe-heating instrumentality comsaid pan in line with said aperture, and

means for supplying vapor to said member.

40. A shoe-heating instrumentality comprising a housing having a shoe-receiving aperture, means for supplying heat and vapor to said housing, a hollow heel heater having ducts for the emission of vapor and arrangedv in line with said aperture, a stationary vapor supply pipe, and a pipe connected to said heater and telescoping with said supply pipe.

41. A heater for softening the stifened counters of shoes, comprising a member approximating the shape of a flat heel, shaped and arranged to it within the margin of the counter of an unlasted shoe and support the heel end of the sole thereon, and means for heating the same.

42. A heater for softening the stifened counter of a partially formed shoe, comprising a hollow metallic casing arranged and adapted to be embraced by the projecting flange of the counter, said casing having a top ,wall to support the heel end of the shoe, and having a perforated side and end wall, and means for supplying vapor to the interior of said casing.

43. A heater for softening the stiffened counters of shoes, comprising a hollow metallic member shaped and arranged to fit within the margin of the counter stilener of an unlasted shoe, and having an upper surface for engaging and supporting the heel end of a shoe, and means for supplying vapor thereto.

44. A heater for softening the stifened counters of shoes, comprising a hollow metallic member shaped and arranged to fit within the margin of the counter stifener of an unlasted shoe and to engage the heel end of the sole of such shoe, and having lateral ports for the emission of vapor against the said stiffener, and a conduit for supplying vapor to said member.

45. A shoe heater comprising a housing having a plurality of shoe-receiving apertures, a steam coil for radiating heat in said housing, a valve for regulating the passage of steam to said coil, a pipe for supplying vapor to said housing, a main steam pipe connected lto said steam coil, a vapor chest, a conduit connecting the said chest with said main steam pipe, and a valved connection between said vapor chest and said vapor pipe.

46. A device for softening the counter stiffeners of shoes, comprising a hollow member approximating the shape of a flat heel, means for supporting said member to permit the heel end of the sole of a partially finished shoe to rest thereon, and means for heating said member.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

WILLIAM H. BAYNARD. FREDRICK W. EAGER. 

